A Beer lover's paradise! Â I am speaking solely for the bar but since this place is under the rev food group umbrella, think Monza and Poe's Tavern, I would bet their food is pretty delicious! Â They have an expansive and always rotating draft selection. Â I can't say enough good things about CFB. Â The place is decorated neatly and is very warm and welcoming. Â It can get packed on weekend nights but it is more than worth it. Â Go to CFB, you won't leave thirsty and you might leave tipsy!
Review Source:We gone passed this place a few times during our visit and decided to head in for pre-dinner drinks. The space is hipster with all its vintage beer signs on the wall. The light bulb display in the fireplace is distracting especially when you're trying to not look at it. We tried a couple of local craft beers and an order of their pimiento cheese. The cheese came out with these super delicious crackers, which I couldn't get enough of, but the cheese itself is pretty mild in flavor and far from offensive. I like this place and I only wished we had more time in town to check it out when the sun went down.
Review Source:I love CFB for happy hours or early dinners. Â It gets a little too crowded at night for such a narrow space. Â At happy hour I always order the fried green beans. They come out smoking hot in a tempura batter and the beans are so crisp it's like they never touched the oil. Â Great with cold beer (my current fav is Cottrell Old Yankee Ale). Â During the fall, I love to come in for a cider and their grilled cheese and tomato soup. Â Perfect meal.
Bartenders are friendly and attentive and will let you sample beer. Â Also their recommended flights are usually pretty fun.
Mismanaged!...
So I came here on a Thursday night and there was little to no crowd but that's fine by me. The beer selection was great and so was the grilled cheese and tomato soup I had!
The problem...The bartenders.
The crabby chick that helped me was just going through the paces, if that. Her and another bartender kept meeting at the end of the bar to gripe under their breath about customers and what a bad night it is going to be. I then noticed the guy next to me was either friends of the staff or just staff off duty and was the only one getting attention. Then slowly but surely, the bartenders friends started coming in and finally, a real smile and service was actually happening...for their friends. Then my beer was getting empty as I saw them glance at it several times with no offer to get me another. Mind you, the whole time I'm staying positive and trying to put out a good attitude as I was alone on business. No dice, I just sat there with my empty glass on display for too long ANNND still nothing. So I asked for my check and moved on.
If your looking for service, this isn't the place but hey at least they make a mean grilled cheese! Simple lack of management.
OUT OF TOWN REVIEW - First time visiting Charleston (during 1st week of June) and after getting drenched by Tropical Storm Andrea while unsuccessfully trying to tour Historic Downtown Charleston by foot, there was nothing else to do but drown my sorrows away. Â Decided to past the time by going to this restaurant due to the great YELP reviews and it was close to our hotel, and I'm so glad I did! Â They had great selection of local draught beers & the most amaZING beer mussels (mussels, beer, bacon, shallots, garlic, fries & aioli). Â Even my vegetarian sister enjoyed her salad!
Our only regret was trying a different restaurant the following evening.
As I walk in, there is a spacious L shaped bar, and several low top tables going down the long and narrow dinning area. Â There are some couches to relax on and plenty of eclectic stuff on the wall.
I find a spot at the bar, and the service is top notch. Â Friendly, knowledgeable, and quick. Â He knew about the different beers, recommended stuff from the food menu, and obviously takes pride in what CfB has to offer.
Plenty of stuff on tap. Â Had some Westbrook IPA, Coast Porter, and Grand Teton Oud Bruin. Â Definitely one of the better beer bars in town. Â They had a cask engine as well, but nothing was on when I visited.
The food menu is on the smaller side. Â I went with the Mussels. Â While the Mussels were of great quality and flavorful, they were topped with fries and a mayo aioli sauce. Â That sounded just crazy enough to work, but it was a bit of overload. Â Mussels...great, fries...good, aioli...over barring, and they did not mix that well with the bivalves IMO. Â I am going to have to go with the Pork Slap, or one of their other items next time.
A great atmosphere, a very good beer selection, great service, and interesting food (even though I was not in love with what I had). Â I am a fan.
Wow. I was in heaven when I walked in the doors. Craft beer, food, eclectic decor. Yea, I could stay here a while!
After walking, I was feeling brunchy, and Closed For Business was not only in my bookmarks, but right in front of me too.
I ordered the banana waffles and a craft beer called Mama's Little Pilsner (beer and waffles? what can I say, they name grabbed me).
While waiting for the food, a young guy in another group turns to me and shows me a photo on his iphone. "Doesn't this look like John Lennon?" he asks me. I look. It is a photo of the wooden bar...But wait! The two dark knots and with the light reflection forming a nose and mouth. Well I'll be..."It sure does!" I saw the trademark dark, round glasses and the face. He was overjoyed and said to his friends, "See! He see's it too!"
We talked a little more, then the food arrives. Funny how strangers can click in certain settings.
To my dismay, the banana waffle was a standard (but good, crisp) waffle, with three slices of banana on top. My girlfriend had the chicken salad, which she loved, because it had grapes and nuts in it. I tried a bite, and to me, the acidity of the grapes with the chicken turned my stomach. Then again, it could have been the combination of beer, syrup, chicken and fruit.
If Closed For Business is so cool, why the three stars? Getting staff attention is a pain. The bartender seemed more focused on cleaning and stacking glasses that making eye contact and seeing that everyone was content. When he did speak, it was in some obscure attempt to be cool and funny. FAIL. Good customer service goes a long way, and doesn't take much effort.
And, I was disappointed the banana was not incorporated into to waffle batter.
Otherwise, I would have liked to have had a few more of Mama's Pilsners until I could see the rest of the Beatles in the woodwork.
Hipsters delight! Â With the selection of micros though, I can overlook that. Â It's kitschy inside, lots of cool trinkets and such on the walls, seating produces a relaxed atmosphere. Â Can get a little loud when it's busy, like during a special cask release, but again, I can willingly overlook that. Â The Scotch egg was quite delicious as well.
Review Source:I have now eaten at closed for business a couple times. Once for lunch at the bar when it was a quiet afternoon downtown. The service was great and I got the infamous Pork Slap. It definitely lived up to expectations. I'm not a huge fan of swiss and I wasn't sure what to expect of the tomato chutney, but I figured, why mess with it if they already got it right. To my surprise, I wouldn't change a thing about it. It's a fantastic sandwich.
I enjoyed it so much that I got another last night. We stopped in to have a drink and share some appetizers. We ordered Crispy Green Beans, the Cheese Biz Dip, and a pork slap to share. I asked if we could have the sandwich cut into three parts so we could share it and our waitress said the kitchen couldn't do that (I have no idea why) but, she did offer to bring out extra plates and a knife to chop it up with. The Pork Slap was once again on the money. The Crispy Green Beans where better than I expected and much better than other places I have had them. The Cheese Biz Dip was unreal, a blend of cheeses with sausage and maybe a sprinkle of unicorn tears, I could have eaten the entire bowl myself.
For beer, they had a special cask of Westbrook's highly sought after Mexican Cake loaded with extra peppers and sticks of cinnamon as well. I think I like the original better but it was nice to get a chance to try it.
Some have mentioned slow service, but every time I have been, I end up having great service. I have witnessed the slow service from time to time when it's busy but I guess I have always lucked out. I'm sticking by my five star rating until they do me wrong. Please don't do me wrong C4B.
Their food is good, the beer is cold and plentiful (lots of craft brews from near and far on tap), the crowds are thick thick thick on weekends. Â Whenever you are on Upper King St. you know that if you attempt to go here on a Friday or Saturday night you're going to be packed in and the crowd will be mainly filled with young to mid 20 somethings....not that that is a bad thing, it's just what crowd tends to be here every time I am here. Â The service was ungodly slow the last time we were there...not sure if it was understaffed or if we just had a bad server. Â The other major issue was that there was only one bathroom open for a super crowded restaurant and bar. I like it here when it's a little quieter...such as on a weekday.
Review Source:unique decor...felt comfy and at home. Â Sipped on a mimosa while waiting for my lunch.
Lunch was chicken salad infused with squeezed purple grapes...interesting twist as I've only had cranberries as a fruit in my chicken salad previously. Â Salad sat on top of a non-edible version of lettuce...I think i would have liked edible lettuce or shell. Â Chicken salad was a bit mild, but chicken tasted fresh and had good texture, not too finely chopped or chunky..maybe could have used a spritz of lemon juice and a few nuts or hint of celery.
My boyfriends' banana waffle and pimento grits were da bomb..I tested our relationship by stealing off his plate...it was worth stealing
original menu selections and friendly, casual atmosphere in the right spot.
Walked away satisfied and not too full or drunk  and was able to comfortably continue strolling the downtown area.
Fun place. Great selection of craft brews on draft. Food was pretty good for late night bar food. I liked going with the craft belgian high gravity beers. They even allow for large glasses and pseudo pitchers, although it will cost you. I was a bit fooled when my colleagues told me to meet them there. I thought the place they were going to was "closed for business".
Review Source:CFB has it's ups and downs but at the end of the meal the ups crush the downs which is why I give them 4 stars.
The good: Their food. The veggie burger there is always killer. Add pimento cheese on it and you're in heaven. My boyfriend always gets the Porkslap and does nothing but rave about it. Their beer selection rotates and always has something for everyone. When my friends and I go out I notice that we all enjoy very different beer. I'm a stout drinker. My boyfriend is an IPA fanatic. And I find that a lot of my friends love wheat beers. On their menu they always have the great craft staples but also have unique and funk new beers to try. The prices are pretty on point. Some people might say they are pricey but I honestly think those are people who don't drink craft beer on a normal basis around town.
The bad: The service. It is not always consistently bad but I can honestly say more times than not I have had some horrible service. Notice how I am saying horrible service not server. I tend to always go during lunch at the exact moment every other server is cut besides one. Always. This is not on purpose. And at this time I come in there always seems to be way too many tables in there for just one server. One time I did have the manager roll her eyes at me when I asked for the check at the end of the meal because I hadn't seen my server since I got my food. I found that to be shocking because I know this company well and I know the owners would put her head on a chopping block for that. They take their business very seriously. Last thing: the food takes a long time. Do not ever go here if you only have 45 minutes to eat on a lunch break or something because it will not happen comfortably.
All in all as I stated above. The service might be slow and lacking most times but the food and beer speaks for itself and keeps me coming back over and over again. I constantly recommend this place and will continue to do so.
Me and the little lady love ourselves some craft beer.  Why, it has in the last 4 years replaced our wine obsession.  Good news, beer is a shit  ton cheaper than wine.  Also, besides a quick trip to Amsterdam, Germany or Belgium, most of our favorite beers are in The United States.. So, no more having to travel to the ends of the earth to go to vineyards, or even worse, deal with the assholes in NAPA.  Sorry, to our nice friends we have out there but, you know you all are a bunch of pretentious bastards. Â
The beer list is impressive.. I forget how many are on tap but, it's more than a little.. I got to try a few beers I have never had before.. I like how they have their beer list separated from dark to light. Â Â They had everything from Evil Twin to Holy City, Greenflash and the list continues. Â I want to say they had over 40 interesting and well procured beers on draught. Â
Since, it was early and we were nursing pretty tremendous hangovers, we went for the overproof beers and had a very simple snack.. My wife had the sausage wrap deep fried egg and I had the potato skins. Â Been in the a rather sensitive state, the thought of trying a deep fried sausage wrapped hard boiled egg was out of the question.. However, it came with a pepper jelly and some other dipping sauce she really enjoyed.. She told me she loved what she ordered, i took her word for it.
My secret love in life are potato skins. 9 times out of 10 I can forgo your fancy tasting menu and sit down with a plate of potato skins and a couple of beers and call myself happy. Â I was happy with their version. Â Â Instead of sour cream, they went with this tarragon ranch style dressing.. It was delicious. Â
Good stuff, if this was in Brooklyn, i would be there on the regular.
After many futile attempts at finding lunch, we came across Closed for Business on our weary search. A beer haven affixed with a hearty menu for the betterment of a weary traveler....or someone who just needs to slam a few beers/cocktails.
Take your pick when it comes to beer. They've got brews from every corner of the craft world. Local, regional, mass distribution, etc. No complaints on the beer lineup. Tried a new pale ale, don't recall the brewery, and enjoyed it fully. I especially enjoyed the 10oz pour for lunch. Much less intense than a full 16oz for lunch.
The food. While I think it's a great menu, some of the items aren't fully realized when plated. Here's what we had:
CFB Fries with gravy on the side. Loved the gravy. A little more like chili, which I dig. The fries themselves....a little too well-done. I'm talking "cut the roof of your mouth" overdone for some. Not all were as such, but it was a little disappointing. Also, the cheese curds....a little more like straight up cheddar. Either way, it was delicious.
The Pork Slap. WHAAAT????!!! Pig, pig, and more pig...on a bun....with slaw, with swiss, and green tomato chutney. Super messy, great flavors, super heavy and a whole lot of "I'd eat the crap out it again." Good luck not taking a nap after consuming this monster.
Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Textbook. Thick cut bread, great cheese mix, and a decent soup. Nothing bad, nothing amazing. Just comfy.
I'm giving these guys an A-OK for now. I'm looking forward to checking out a few different menu items next time and sticking around later in the day for a few more beers. Good work thus far, gents.
We were in town for Brewvival the following day and stopped by Closed For Business on our way to dinner. Â It was still early on a Friday night, but the place was already packed with full tables and very little place at the bar. Â We squeezed our way to the bar and quickly looked at the menu to order some drinks before heading up the street to The Macintosh for food. Â On this evening, they offered a very impressive beer selection with all kinds of variety to suit any beer drinker.
I got an oak aged sour beer from Belgium that was pricey, but worth every penny. Â Others in the group enjoyed their west coast IPA, rare Allagash cherry sour beer and the wife was satisfied with her standard drink of bourbon.
We also stopped back in after dinner and the place was still packed. Â I believe that they have food as well, and will try some next time, as I will return here for beer whenever in Charleston.
What a great restaurant. Â The decor is eclectic and interesting, the setting is intimate, the food is delicious, the beer selection is varied and the music was awesome. Â I had the Pork Slap and my wife the Chicago dog. Â We shared the fried green bean appetizer. Â I would recommend all three and I highly recommend Closed for Business.
Review Source:Ahhh, CFB, the tumultuous relationship we have.
I am a BIG fan of this place. I love it. I love the beers. I love the unusual and endearing decor, I love sitting in the window- er, actually I refuse to sit anywhere else other than the window. So yeah, I might mouth breathe in your direction and wait for you to leave. It's kind of my thing. The servers are also just the best. You really can't lose with this joint.
The food is alright, but I don't generally come here to feed just because there are so many other tasty options near by. The fried green beans are my snack of choice, if I choose to go down that path. Hugs.
When you first step foot in the door and look around, you can clearly tell there was a lot of thought put into the décor and design of this place. They have a fantastic beer menu and tasty food to match. I do think the prices were a bit steep, but the quality of ingredients seemed worth it. I would love to go back to have a full meal and try a fantastic beer inspired dessert!
Review Source:$27 for a Cobb salad w/BBQ chicken and a Fried Chicken sandwich, no drinks.
It's very dark in here with just the glow of red lamps, kind of a lodge type feel with wood paneling and what looked like framed political cartoons. Very loud on a Friday night, couldn't hear the music or the group at our table. Crowded, standing area by the bar. Thanks, but no thanks.
While on Sullivan's Island eating dinner, one of the waitresses gave us a few suggestions of bars that we might want to check out once we got back to Charleston. Â
Closed for Business was on the list and this place was great. Â Laid back with some great music playing, it was a fun place to have a drink and do a little people watching. Â The crowd is younger, but folks were friendly.
Big fan of CFB.
Unlike Monza, their sister restaurant, they were totally welcoming of our babies and accommodated us. Â Which I did not expect because this definitely seems like a big kid place. Â
Anywho, amazing beer selection. Â Such polite service. Â EXCELLENT TUNES. Â Nirvana, Bush, STP - all my favs. Â
Only had the brunch menu though which sucked big time because they accidentally gave us BOTH menus - the regular menu looked so so good so that was disappointing. Â Also, the JR C. HATE HATES HATES brunch - so he got the burger, which also annoyed him because they only do medium or more well done. Â So JR probably won't have nice things to say about this place.
I got the yogurt and granola and it was excellent! Â
So overall, a fan - will only go back when I can get my paws on the regular menu, though.
I have been to this establishment for the last time. I understand they are trying to be a niche bar, where there is specialty beer and so fourth, but they don't need to treat people that don't fit the "hipster" description like I was the last time I went in.
I asked, at the bar, after a considerable wait, for a Bud Light (God forbid). They had this the last time I was there so I thought they would have it still. (I drink Coors Light, but I knew unless hell froze over, they wouldn't carry that) He explained that they change their selection all the time, okay, I get it. So I said does he have any domestics? A common term for "normal" or "popular" or "mass produced crap" beer, that I only drink. He replied in a snarky tone, "well, I have a lot of things made in the United States," knowing full well what I meant after ordering a Bud Light. I should have confronted him for being such a snob (you're just a bar tender, right) since that is my nature, but I just said never mind and left.
If I am willing to spend my money for over priced, Pale One Tire Seat Fat Head beer served by boorish hippies, then I think I deserve a little more respect when I sit at the bar. The old joke is "I wish this place would live up to their name," but I don't believe in wishing people to lose their lively hood or jobs. All I want is their attitude to change before I bring my happy, drunk ass in again.
Visited in June 2012 for a bachelorette weekend & again in Jan 2013 for a couples weekend.
Great food (Pork Slap please and thank you), Numerous beers available (my boyfriend was quite pleased however I'm a tequila girl and just did shots), and a stroller policy that allows adults to feel like adults in a BAR -- Winning combination.
Radiohead, Gorillaz, Beck - that's the kind of music that you hear in this place. The crowd is late 20s and above. Not a sports pub kind of place. I don't recall seeing a TV in there at all,. However, If you want to talk politics, art, etc.. this is the spot to be.
I was in Charleston a few weeks back visiting one of my nearest and dearest friends. (Well, if nearest is referring to proximity, in this regard, he's quite far away!)
Anywho, prior to his kickball game, we stopped into Closed for Business for a bite to eat and some drinks.
Its a cute little place that caters to a college crowd. They serve a mean grilled cheese and tomato soup! :)
Great space, the lighting is perfect and they have Clint Eastwood posters. Nice bar that is dominated, but not cluttered, by the tap trees. The 40-something taps are the most I've found in the area so far and the draft list had something to satisfy any beer appreciator, although some styles were poorly represented on my visit and presentation was mediocre. Warm samples and improper glassware are hard to forgive when some of your pours are $10+
The small and primarily sandwich-based menu had several options that caught my eye. Disappointingly, when I inquired about mixing some of the menu items to accommodate dietary restrictions, I was informed that the kitchen would not do so. Deciding to press on, I had a very satisfactory appetizer followed by a respectable 7/10 burger. The mussels I finished with were somewhat lackluster.
I'll be back for the beer selection but probably would not plan a full meal here again.
Closed for Business has an extensive beer list and is definitely a popular place.
However, the prices are a little on the high side compared to other bars in the area, the decor is extremely similar to Poe's (same ownership group) and the service was far from attentive. Dessert and a salad took 45 minutes to be served.
The food and beer selection were good but the staff ruined the experience
This is the kind of place I love, and the kind of place I missed on my last visit to the area.
Aside from having my favorite Benjamin Franklin quote on the wall, they also had a few dozen taps with craft beers that ran the gamut. Â Their menu lays them all out for you: Light (Budweiser?!? really, get rid of that) white/fruit, pale, amber/brown, and dark. Â
My little lady went with the Greenflash Retro Pale Ale and I had the Abita Turbodog. Â I like how they give you options on the sizes, including full liters (aka ein grosse bier).
CFB is a place that has a cool, kitschy vibe. Â I was a big fan of the retro Bjorn Borg Rolland Garros poster. Â We never ate, just the pints for us. Â But, the food looked good.
Dang.
Looking for a place where there are more beers on draught than you can count? This place is most definitely it.
If you are looking for a place to have dinner, this place really isn't it. Yes they have a kitchen, but the menu is quite small and limited. It's filled with mostly bar food.
Food, however, is not the reason why you would go to a place like this, you go to a place like this for the beer selection. The list is beyond extensive. They have whites/wheats, pale ales, stouts, lagers, anything you can think of. Whilst they have Coors for those uneducated in good beer, you have to try their microbrews. New Belgium, Allagash, Victory... The choices are to die for.
Decor is pretty cool and their lightbulb fireplace is really neat.
The barkeeps are also nice.
This is a must go for a nice wind down!
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